Taylor Made
by KBear143
Summary: Ava Taylor has seen more than most girls her age, and she's confident that she has what it takes to become a paratrooper and make her family proud. Still, in this "man's world," the decision to make it may not be hers alone. ***ALL OBVIOUS DISCLAIMERS ABOUT OWNERSHIP, RESPECT, ETC.***
1. Chapter 1

**HELLO MY AMAZING AND LOYAL READERS. I'M SORRY THAT THIS HAS TAKEN SO LONG, BUT I HAD JUST REACHED A PLACE WHERE I WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS AND DIRECTION OF THE STORY. IF YOU WERE READING THE ORIGINAL, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL FIND THIS REVAMP TO BE BETTER. I PULLED FROM THE ORIGINAL, SO PLEASE IGNORE YOUR SENSE OF DE-JA-VU. THERE ARE CHANGES THAT YOU MAY MISS IF YOU JUST SKIP THROUGH THE PARTS YOU RECOGNIZE. PLEASE ENJOY THIS NEWLY REVAMPED VERSION OF TAYLOR MADE, AND BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!**

* * *

 **AVA POV**

It is a prickly, nerve-wracking feeling to have two dozen members of the opposite sex staring at you in stunned silence while you make a bunk and try to pretend that everything is normal. It was a feeling I had expected, but it was unnerving nonetheless. Still, I'd vowed to make the most of this opportunity or die trying.

"What the hell are you doing in here, honey? Is this a joke? There ain't no skirts in the Airborne," smirked a square-jawed Philadelphian from one of the bunks nearest me.

The derisive snorts and laughter that followed indicated that Philly spoke for the majority. The rush to judgement and blatant sexism, while not terribly surprising, annoyed me and caught the last trigger on a quick temper and a sharp tongue that had a habit of getting me into trouble.

"Really? Then what are you doing here, pretty boy? A USO tour?"

His jaw clenched. Other jaws dropped. A large man named Bull, or so I would later learn, chuckled openly as he chewed on a cigar. From the bunk on my other side, a dark set of eyes regarded me coolly, waiting to see what would happen next. After a tense moment, my inner voice reminded me that I would soon be dependent on these men for survival, and I decided that discretion was the better part of valor. I stepped up beside Philly and held out my hand.

"My name is Ava Taylor. I transferred from a hospital in the Pacific. Why don't we call a truce for now? At least until I have a chance to prove myself. Then you can pass all the judgement you want."

He looked at me for a long minute as the room held its breath, then he stood and shook my hand, flashing a bright smile.

"Fair enough, Ava Taylor. Fair enough. And not that I don't love 'pretty boy,' but my name is Bill Guarnere."

"You sure? Pretty boy seems a better fit," I prodded, and he retorted that he liked a dame with some sass to her. "Oh, then you're gonna love me."

"I just might at that, Doll."

He spent the remainder of the evening introducing me to the rest of Easy Company. They were polite and curious, if a little skeptical, but most were at least willing to give me the chance to prove myself. That night, I lay my head down and said a brief prayer that I wouldn't embarrass myself or my family, and I rolled over to go to sleep. Beside me, a deep voice reached out from the space between my bunk and that of the dark-eyed cynic I'd come to know as Joe Toye.

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, Princess. This ain't no summer camp."

* * *

 **JOE POV**

My immediate impression of Ava Taylor was that she had beautiful eyes. In fact, as far as I could see, she had beautiful everything. Not that it mattered because I was surrounded by handsome, outgoing, flirtatious paratrooper-hopefuls and compared to many of them, I was... reserved. Certainly not a ladies' man anyway. Hell, Talbert would probably be kissing her before the night was over. He could talk his tongue into a lady's mouth faster than Sobel could revoke a weekend pass, and at least as often.

Then, as Bill spoke, it registered that we weren't at some pub, but in the barracks. What the hell was she doing here? Besides, if her attitude was any indication, she might be a lot to deal with. I stayed quiet as I watched the situation play out and it wasn't long before my initial prediction came true. The boys asked questions and, of course, some began to flirt. It was easy to see that she was going to be trouble. It couldn't be a good idea to have a woman in the company. She couldn't possibly handle the physical demands, and she'd be a distraction to the men. If, by some miracle, she made it through training and went to war, she'd panic under fire or at the first sign of the horrors of war and, of course, arouse the protective instincts of the men. They'd wind up too worried about protecting her to take care of themselves or the objectives. Some would probably wind up wounded or dead.

Before the night was over, I'd made up my mind to keep my distance from pretty little Ava Taylor... no matter how beautiful her eyes were.

* * *

 **AVA POV**

Lieutenant Sobel wasted little time in welcoming me at formation the following morning. I'd heard stories, but the weasel-faced officer in front of me seemed eager to outdo them all.

"Easy Company, as you may have noticed, we have a new addition among us. Ava Taylor is just in from the Pacific on her whirlwind tour of the Army Air Corps, and she has convinced someone up the chain that she had what it takes to become a paratrooper. I, of course, think this is bullshit and fully expect her to be gone in short order. However, while she is here, I would advise her to keep her legs closed and you to avoid interacting with her at all costs. You have no idea where she had been. If her presence distracts you in any way, or if she attempts to seduce you, inform me immediately so that I can take appropriate measures. In any case, I'm sure that the skirt will be back in the kitchen before long anyway. Still, in celebration of her arrival, all passes are revoked. Now, change into your PT gear. We're running Currahee."

The men around me grumbled as we entered the barracks, at least until I stripped down to my T-shirt and underwear to pull on my PT shorts. Luz, Easy Company comedian, let out a low whistle of appreciation.

"Hey fellas, do you think this qualifies as seduction? Should I report her to Sobel already?"

"I don't know about seduction, Luz, but it damned sure qualifies as a distraction," came a familiar, self-assured voice from the doorway, and I turned, pulling my PT shorts over my hips, toward the grinning face of my college best friend and reason for being assigned to Easy. He stepped in and gave me an appreciative once-over before speaking again. "How are you holding up, Blue Eyes? You know, if your uncle knew you were stripping down in front of these men, he'd have a heart attack. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you."

"Well then, don't tell him," I shrugged, returning his smile. "Took me forever to convince him to let me come here, and we certainly wouldn't want to give the old man a heart attack while he has a war to fight. Besides, I'm a grown woman now."

"Don't I know it," Lewis Nixon laughed. "I just came by to remind you that I'm here for you to vent to if Sobel starts getting to you, 'cause I'd hate to see that infamous, pretty little mouth of yours get you into trouble. I know that much hasn't changed since I saw you last. I'd hug you, but I wouldn't want the boys to think you were getting all cozy with an officer."

He winked at me, chuckling when I blushed. No one could make me blush quite like Lewis Nixon, and it was a title he had relished since the day we met.

"Yeah. We wouldn't want that," I responded flatly.

"Take care of her, boys," he commanded. Then, just before he stepped back outside for the run, he caught my eyes again and added, "You look really good, Av."

Then he was gone, leaving behind only the butterflies that had always appeared when he was around.

"You too, Nix," I muttered to myself, not pleased that a year away had done little to lessen his charm. Still, I tried to shake it off and moved toward the door before I noticed the curious eyes around me. The question, when it finally did come, came not from George or Bill, or even Tab. It came instead from my cynical bunk neighbor.

"You and the lieutenant got something going on that we should know about, Princess?"

"Friendship, Joe. Believe it or not, I do have friends. We were at Yale together."

His voice followed behind me as we stepped outside and moved toward formation at the base of the hill.

"Didn't look like you were just friends."

"Well, we are. He's married to an old classmate of ours."

"But you have a thing for him."

I noticed that he wasn't phrasing questions. I also noticed an edge to his tone. The guys walking with us were staring on in silent curiosity at the unusual exchange. Joe Toye was rarely this talkative or this interested in other people's business, or so I was later told. Nobody was quite sure what to make of it.

"No, Joe. I don't. And I don't see why you'd care if I did, or why I'm even having this conversation."

"I don't care. Just wondering what you are really doing here. Yale. The Pacific. Officer buddies. What are you slumming down here with us for? What's in it for you?"

I shook my head in annoyance and broke into a jog at the base of the hill, throwing back only, "Just the pleasure of your company, Joe."

I kept my distance from him as we ran. I wasn't much in the mood for story-telling. He'd find out soon enough anyway. They all would. If I'd learned anything during my time in the Army, it was that camp gossip spread like a rumor at a southern beauty parlor. I was surprised it hadn't already made the rounds. I could hear them whispering as we ran the hill, trying to decide what salacious secret I was hiding. As far as I was concerned, they could make all the assumptions they wanted. I was happy to remain a bit of a mystery, but Nix caught me before I made it back to the barracks.

"Are you going to tell them the truth?"

"Why? I don't care what stories they make up. I'm sure they'll find out the truth at some point anyway. What's the point?"

"What if Sobel comes through on one of his inspections and dumps your footlocker for all the boys to see? Don't you think they're going to wonder why you have...?"

"I'll deal with it, Nix. I'm just not ready to deal with it right this minute."

He sighed, and I could tell he was resisting the urge to argue. Finally, he gave me a quick hug and waved me on my way. The room grew silent the moment I walked in and sat down on my bunk. They had seen my second exchange with Nix, and there was little doubt what the now-quiet topic had been. Expectant eyes were all around me. Some were curious, others distrustful. Joe sat on my footlocker with his arms crossed, an angry expression lining his face as though I were a personal spy for Hitler himself. Across from me, Bill sat down on his bunk, clearly trying to ease some of the suspicious tension.

"So, what gives? What are you really doing here, Ava? Where'd you come from? If we're gonna be a company, and trust each other with our lives, we gotta know."

There was nothing accusatory in his tone, but I hesitated just long enough for someone to add, "Yeah, who'd you sleep with?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Bill snapped, turning back to me, but another voice broke in. Toye's.

"Yeah. I thought nurses were lieutenants, which means that you should be with the other officers. So, either you slept with someone over there and had to get away from them, so they transferred you, or maybe you and Lieutenant Nixon are just trying to cover your tracks. Must've been someone higher up than that though, or they'd have just discharged you. Maybe you're a spy for Sobel, looking for ways to get us in trouble. Or you lied, and you weren't a nurse in some hospital anywhere, and you polished somebody's brass to get here and land yourself a paratrooper's paycheck..."

"You don't even fucking know me!" I exploded, interrupting his speculation. "And, for your information, I am not a whore!"

"So you say," he sneered, jumping up to defend himself as I flew at him, flipping the footlocker and spilling its contents across the floor.

I dove for him as he leapt up, but Bill's arms held me firmly as he shouted, "Enough! Both of you!"

I kept struggling until, of all people, Roy Cobb stepped up beside Joe and looked down into my rage-filled eyes.

"You," he said quietly. "You saw action."

Twenty faces looked back and forth between us, including Joe Toye. Bill finally released me and I straightened my hair and clothing before stooping to clean up my personal belongings.

"You too?"

He knelt beside me and began handing me things as he confirmed, "North Africa with the infantry. And a torpedoed troop ship on the way home, for good measure. Brother?" He nodded toward the bit of scrap metal and the folded American flag that always lay at the top of my locker.

"Yeah, Roy. I saw action. And no," I answered, pulling my dog tags from beneath my shirt so that he could see the delicate ring that hung with them. "Fiancé."

"I'm sorry, Av. Were you there? I mean, were you stationed together? You were in the Pacific, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we were together. Right to the end."

Above me, Luz's voice was solemn as he broke into our bubble, asking quietly, "Where were you, Ava?"

I looked up, and I could see in his eyes that he was waiting for me to confirm his suspicion.

"Pearl Harbor," I said at last, and it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. "I was... we were stationed at Hickam Field with the bombers."

Now Joe spoke up, incredulous, demanding, "Wait, why was a nurse stationed at Hickam? You said..."

"No," I answered wearily, standing with Roy as he handed me the last of my belongings from the floor. "You said I was a nurse. I said I came from a hospital."

I ran my thumb over the shiny black box as I accepted it, feeling the impression of the gold-embossed lettering, and looked up at Roy. He nodded as if he already knew the memories that were running through my mind.

"When you're ready to talk about it, I'll be here to listen."

Bill, still standing within reach in case Joe and I tried to kill each other again, slipped an arm around my shoulder and squeezed me affectionately, nodding toward the box in my hand.

"He must've been a brave man to receive a Bronze Star."

I smiled softly at his genuine effort to comfort me and pecked him lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you, Bill, and he was an incredibly brave man, but the Bronze Star is actually mine."

"Yours, sweetheart? What did... you know what?" he stopped, squeezing me again and then releasing me to lay down on my bunk. "Cobb's right. You can tell us about it when you're ready. Still, I gotta admit, that makes me feel a helluva lot better about you being here."

I giggled and smacked him with my pillow, chasing him back to his own bunk before turning to get comfortable. From his bunk, Joe's eyes burned into me and when I met them, I could see a storm of regret and apology in them, but I'd spent enough time in the rain. I closed my eyes and willed myself to go to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**NIXON POV**

 _"_ _You just joined the Army for crying out loud! During a war! You're going to train, and then you're going to be deployed!"_

 _"_ _So? I'll be at war as a married man! And likely, not the only one! I don't get what your problem is. Why are you so against this?"_

 _"_ _I just think… that we should let this go, and I'm glad you're happy."_

 _I could tell that she stopped herself. She was holding back, which was something she only did when she knew that the truth would bother me or be useless. I probably should have taken the hint and let it go when she tried to get me to, but I just couldn't stop myself._

 _"_ _What, Av? You just think what?"_

 _"_ _I think it's a mistake, Lewis. Marrying her is a huge mistake."_

 _"_ _Why? Because she doesn't like you?"_

 _Her eyes flashed. She wasn't really one to raise her voice, even when we were arguing, but it was straining as she tried to fight the urge._

 _"_ _No! Because she doesn't love you!"_

 _The words hit me like a slap in the face. For a moment, she almost looked like she wanted to take them back, but then she just looked tired, as though she'd been carrying this burden around for a long time and finally put it down._

 _"_ _What are you talking about?"_

 _"_ _I'm talking about your family's money, Lewis. I'm talking about social climbing. Having a handsome Army officer to show off to her friends and family, but not have to really deal with, because you won't be there. She's pretty and clever, and she's leading you around on a string! And you're so infatuated that you either haven't noticed, or you don't care!"_

 _Maybe there was just enough gunpowder in that kernel of truth to make me explode._

 _"_ _I am not listening to this shit! Not from you. You know what? Maybe she's right. Maybe you are jealous. She's got me and you don't, and you hate her for it."_

 _"_ _Jealous of what? Not being another notch on your already-worn-out bedpost? Please, Lewis. I chose your friendship. I didn't settle for it. We both know that if sleeping with you was what I wanted, I had my chance."_

 _You know how you know when you've crossed a line, but you're just so bull-headed that you keep plowing forward, deeper into the mess? Yeah. Well._

 _"_ _That's right. You had your chance, and because you passed it up, now you want me to pass up mine. Or maybe it's because you didn't have the chance to be anything but another notch on my bedpost, and you don't want Kathy to have what you could never get. Well, I'm not passing up my chance."_

 _I couldn't even look her in the face. My own words hit me like a punch in the gut, but not nearly so hard as the single tear she allowed to fall._

 _"_ _Fine. Then I wish you both all the best. All I want is your happiness."_

 _"_ _Sure you do."_

 _"_ _Okay, now I'm done. Go to training, Lewis. Good luck. Maybe I'll see you at the wedding."_

That had been a year and a half ago. It was January and it was cold. She was wearing one of my old sweatshirts, and had her hair pulled back because she'd been studying. She'd met me on the steps of her dormitory and I told her that I'd enlisted in the Army and was on my way to Officer Candidate School. She had cried, smiled, hugged me, and told me to be careful and that she was proud of me. Then I told her that I was going to propose to Kathy.

She didn't make it to the wedding. It took me a couple of months of brooding before Kathy's sister finally let slip that she'd been instructed to make sure the invitation got "lost in the mail." I wrote her a letter to apologize, both for the invitation and for the way we'd left things. I told her that I was volunteering as a paratrooper, and that I'd be home for a few days before I left. I hoped to see her, and maybe to make amends, but I didn't hear back before I went home. Instead, there was a letter waiting for me at my parent's house.

 _Lewis,_

 _I want you to know that I forwarded your letter to Ava as soon as it made its way to me. You see, she had her mail forwarded to me when she shipped out._

 _Son, I don't know quite how to tell you this, but Ava enlisted last January, just after you left. She was sent to Hickam Field near Pearl Harbor as a pilot. She was there when the Japs attacked. They were trying to get a plane in the air when it was hit. She got out, but barely. The rest of her crew didn't make it. Her upper body was cut up and burned, and she's been in the hospital over there since the attack. She's doing much better now. She's ready to get out and, as she puts it, get back to being useful._

 _I should tell you that I'm working on getting her transferred though. She took losing her crew hard, and her boyfriend was the tail gunner. A nice young man, and quite the committed relationship. Perhaps even a marriage in the future. She has been quite crushed by all of this._

 _As it so happens, and there is no real surprise here because you two always were like you were operating out of one brain, she has begged me for the opportunity to volunteer as a paratrooper. Now that I know that I might be able to arrange something that would allow you to watch over her, I might just warm to the idea._

 _In any case, she really needs you right now. She's not the same girl she was when you left. Others may not be able to see it, but I know you will. And you should know, she forgave you for everything the day it happened. After all, anger is just love disappointed. Best of luck, young man, and watch over my niece when she gets to you. You'll make a fine officer._

 _Uncle Max_

I must have read that letter a hundred times. She'd enlisted. She'd been in Hawaii when it was hit, and when I'd been getting married two weeks later and wondering why she wasn't there, she'd been lying in a hospital bed. That was hard enough. Painful enough. Unbelievable enough. But what really got me? What really brought my stomach up into my throat? Reading that she'd had a boyfriend. A boyfriend serious enough that her uncle had met him, and liked him enough to mention the possibility of marriage, and although the young man was dead, the jealousy welled up inside me.

I thought back to the day I'd hugged her for the last time, before my big mouth had destroyed everything. I remembered exactly how tightly she'd held me, and how tough it had been for me to let her go. Then, without my permission, my brain compared that to my goodbye with Kathy. There was little question which had been more difficult for both parties, and all at once, there was a nagging voice in my head pointing out how backward that was. A voice that only Vat69 would quiet… most of the time.

Then, there she was. Uncle Max had indeed pulled his strings and arranged for her to be assigned to my company to allow her some measure of familiarity and comfort and, of course, to allow me to keep an eye on her. After all, when you're General Maxwell Taylor, you do have a little bit of influence.

It took everything in my power to stand still during that formation, waiting on Sobel to quit lambasting her with his arrogance and sexism. I wanted to hug her. I wanted to punch him. I felt like I was buzzing. Even Dick was looking at me out of the corner of his eye, trying to figure out where the nervous energy was coming from. When we were finally set free, I sprinted back to change into my PT clothes before heading for her barracks. I couldn't wait any longer to see her. My sweet, mousy little Ava was… wow… did she always have that body?

A room full of men stood gawking at her. This was something to which I was not accustomed. When I heard George Luz whistle and make a remark about seduction, I had to remind myself that it would be unwise to tackle him at this point. It would probably do little to get me back into her good graces, and would certainly damage my ability to look after her if I were court-martialed. I made an attempt at my usual flirtatious humor and, to my utter and complete relief, she smiled and bantered with me. For a moment, it was just like old times. Feeling like a college boy again, I decided to push my luck and I winked at her as I walked out. She blushed. I could still make her blush. There was still a chance.

I hopped off the steps of that wooden shack feeling on top of the world. Then I looked down and caught a glimpse of it. My wedding ring. Reality crashed in again. That was the longest Currahee run of my life.

* * *

 **JOE POV**

She still hadn't elaborated on anything, at least that I knew of, and I didn't ask because I didn't want to let on that I was curious. Everything that I'd initially assumed about Ava Taylor had been wrong and, more than that, the truth was shaping up to be something that would shift my opinion of her forever. I wasn't sure that I was ready for that. I did keep my mouth shut after that night though, trying to be discreet as I watched her move through training. I had to admit that she was better at this than I thought she'd be. She was physically fit enough to be middle of the pack or better on Currahee, handle our hand-to-hand combat drills with aplomb, dig foxholes and trenches, and shoot a rifle with a respectable degree of accuracy. There was a definite bond of some sort between her and Lieutenant Nixon, but she didn't appear especially given to ass-kissing and brass-polishing, so I wasn't quite sure what I should make of that either.

Whatever the case, by the time we headed to Fort Benning for jump training, she had earned the respect of the company and, as much as I hated to admit it, me. The more I allowed myself to admit that she was one of us, the more curious I became about her mysterious past. I wasn't ready to ask yet but, much like everything else I had learned about her, the information found its way to me anyway.

"Ava? Ava Taylor? Is that you?"

We were getting ready to climb aboard our sticks for the first of our five certification jumps when one of the pilots, standing just outside the door of our plane, called out to her. She squinted into the morning sunlight for a moment, shielding her eyes with her hand, and then her face lit up with recognition and they threw themselves into an exuberant hug and began chattering excitedly as the rest of us stood, watching the reunion with interest.

"David? Oh my God! What are you doing here?"

"Well, they sent me here after I recovered. I'm flying C-47s and training other pilots now. So, what are you doing here? Got tired of the cockpit and decided to see things from the back of the plane for a change? I can't believe your Uncle Max agreed to let you volunteer as a paratrooper!"

"Excuse me," interjected the ever-nosy George Luz, raising his hand like a schoolboy. "Pardon me for eavesdropping, but Ava has been a little tight-lipped about her past. Did you say cockpit?"

I was secretly grateful for his prying, but I tried not to show it, or my mild annoyance, as the pilot threw an arm around her shoulder and grinned, preparing to launch into his story. For her part, I noticed that she stared steadily at her jump boots, not keen on the big reveal at all, but realizing that she couldn't really prevent it at this point.

"Well, buddy, this little lady right here was one of the finest pilots at Hickam, next to me, of course. We were flying B17s then. Flying Fortresses. She could fly 'em. She could fix 'em. Truth be told, she could fly or fix any plane you put her in. She could hang with any man on the base. Until the Japs hit, we had a good mind to open up our own flight school someday, right there on the islands. Me, her, and my best friend, James. Afterward, neither of us had the stomach to stay. Too many reminders. We were both the only surviving members of our crews, and between that and the damned hospital, I guess we were both ready to be somewhere else. Lucky for me, Ava here was a good friend of mine and when her Uncle Max came to see her, he saw to it that I got transferred too." When he had finished, he turned back to Ava and asked, "What about James? Did they get him home or was he buried on the island?"

"Cremated. He was cremated, and we scattered his ashes at sea before I left."

Quieter this time, muting his previous enthusiasm, George asked, "Your fiancé?"

She nodded, swallowing hard, and David the handsy pilot picked up where he'd left off, explaining, "My best friend, James… the guy we were gonna open the flight school with… was her fiancé and her tail gunner. I tell you, boys, have no fear going into battle with this doll. There wasn't anything she could do for them, but even as burned and cut up as she was, she pulled every man out of that plane and tried to get them to safety. My plane too. She's the reason I'm here. She might've gotten that Purple Heart for being wounded, but the Bronze Star? That's something she earned by being the toughest broad in the Army Air Corps."

Cobb, standing beside her and noticing how the topic was affecting her, attempted to lighten the moment.

"Well hell, Taylor, we're gonna have to compare scars sometime, you and I!"

She cracked a smile and elbowed him in the ribs.

"You just want an excuse for me to take my shirt off."

"Yeah, well, that too."

My mouth opened before I could think. I hadn't planned on demonstrating any interest, but given the gravity of what I'd just learned about her, and how incredibly wrong I had apparently been, I had to know.

"Who is this Uncle Max you keep talking about? He got you transferred and all that?"

She looked mildly surprised that I had broken my silence, but smiled fondly as she answered, "My Uncle Max? That's General Maxwell Taylor."

Oh.


	3. Chapter 3

**BILL POV**

Five jumps and a short ceremony later, I was surrounded by my buddies at a party, swilling beer to capture my shiny new jump wings between my teeth.

"You can't do it. No way can you chug that beer and catch those wings."

"Wanna bet, Doll?"

"Sure."

I grinned. This was gonna be good.

"Fine. When I win, you gotta come over here and gimme a kiss."

She rolled her eyes, but assented and asked, "Okay, so what do I get when I win?"

"You won't. But let's say that I'll cover your next five latrine duties."

"Deal. Let's see it, pretty boy."

I picked up my glass and winked, blowing her a quick kiss before nodding to Skip Muck, "Time me."

Ten seconds later, I was grinning as I backed away from the table and beckoned her with a crooked finger. She laughed and shook her head.

"I don't believe it."

"Pay up, Doll."

My eyes followed her as she stood and rounded the table, and suddenly, I was a little nervous. She, on the other hand, appeared completely confident and stood over me until I looked up into her eyes and swallowed hard. That brought a smile, as if she knew I'd gotten in over my head here. As if to rub it in, she sat down in my lap, slipping slender fingers behind my neck and combing through my Army-issue buzz cut with her nails. Just about the moment when I thought I'd no longer be able to breath, she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. The kiss itself was chaste enough, but my thoughts were anything but, and it didn't help when she pulled away and fixed me with that same read-my-mind smile, almost daring me to do something. I stared, transfixed, as she stood and went back to her seat and sipped her beer, talking with the others as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Beside me, Bull watched my face and her calm demeanor and laughed, "I just figured out what's going on here, Miss Ava Taylor."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"You're some kind of reincarnated Mata Hari, come back to work for the Americans. Look at him! I ain't ever seen him all flustered and speechless. What'd you put in that kiss?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she winked, and he cocked an eyebrow and smiled at her.

"As a matter of fact, darlin', I'd love to."

"One man per night, Bull. Even Mata Hari had her limits."

* * *

 **TALBERT POV**

The party lasted late into the night. Unfortunately, I was still there to see it. I'd had my sights set on a pretty young lady earlier in the evening. I'd spent most of the night whispering in her ear and impressing her with training stories, but before I could sneak out with her, she was talking about writing letters and meeting parents. When I'd suggested a little less formal arrangement for the evening, she'd gotten angry for some reason and stormed out. I finally decided to turn to the resident expert on women.

"I just don't get it, Ava. Why can't women be like men?"

"Why, Floyd Talbert! I didn't realize that all this womanizing was because you were really looking for a good ma..."

"Shut it, Taylor," I interrupted as the guys around us snickered. "That is not what I meant."

"Okay, okay. What are you babbling about?"

"I'm babbling about sex! Sex, Ava Taylor! Why does it always have to be this stupid courting ritual or relationship thing? Why can't women just have sex?"

"Who says they can't?"

Beside me, Toye choked on his beer. I started sputtering.

"Um… What?"

"Who. Says. They. Can't?" she enunciated. "Women are perfectly capable of enjoying sex strictly for the pleasure of sex. You're just doing it wrong."

Apparently, the boys thought this was hysterical, and I might have found the humor in it, but she was teasing me by walking her fingers up my chest as she talked. Also, for some reason, Toye was glaring at me out of the corner of his eye like he wanted to cut my parachute risers. Before I could ask him what his problem was, she patted my cheek.

"Listen, Tab. The reason that you can't find what you're looking for is because you're approaching it wrong. Look, I like pleasure. I like sex as much as you, and I'm in no position for a relationship right now. I wouldn't mind blowing off a little steam," she shrugged, grinning at the open-mouthed paratroopers now listening with rapt attention. "And I guarantee that I'm not the only female out there who feels that way. The problem, Tab, is when you sidle up to a woman dangling sweet nothings and letters from the front lines, she's gonna have her sights set on a handsome boyfriend in a uniform who she can tell all her friends about. Stop it. Be more honest. You'd be surprised at who might just take you up on your offer."

Beside me, Toye muttered under his breath, "Mata fucking Hari."

I cleared my throat and began, "Okay. Ava, I find you very attractive, and I'd really like to..."

"Not with me, Tab!"

"But you said..."

"We're friends. That would just complicate things. The point is not to complicate things."

"Oh. Well, that makes sense. I guess."

Can't blame a guy for trying. Disappointed as I was, she was probably right. Living with her afterward probably wouldn't be too bad, but it might get a little awkward when I was making out other women.

* * *

 **BILL POV**

Watching the exchange between Ava and Tab was entertaining, but not nearly as interesting as watching Joe Toye try to pretend that he didn't care. Sometimes he was a hard man to figure. Still, my best guess was that it drove him right up the wall that little Miss Ava Taylor could, in one breath, both annoy the hell out of him and invade his thoughts in the most delicious way. Whatever the case, he'd looked fit to be tied since I collected on our little bet earlier, and when she started talking about liking pleasure, I worried that his grip was going to crush his beer glass. He must've felt me staring because he shot me a look that dared me to say something. I held up my hands in surrender, though I couldn't help but laugh.

What really clinched that she was getting to him, though, was that once he'd realized that I saw through him, he went out of his way to prove just how much he couldn't stand her. More interesting still was that she seemed to revel in it. She never gave an inch, throwing every smirk and barb right back in his face. They'd wind up glaring at each other until someone cleared their throat or made a joke to relieve the tension. It was like watching some kind of angry mating dance. It was only a matter of time before they ripped each other's clothes off... or killed each other.

I wondered if I was the only one who saw it, but as we settled into the train that was to take us to Camp Mackall, Bull sat down next to me and nodded toward the two of them as they went out of their ways to find seats on opposite sides of the car.

"How long do you give 'em?"

"Weeks. Maybe."

"Yeah. They've already gone longer than I figured they'd last. Maybe we shoulda just locked 'em in a room after those first few nights. Get it over with so that the rest of us wouldn't have to listen to it anymore."

"That's a hell of an idea, Bull. We might have to try that before it's all over with."

* * *

 **JOE POV**

I don't know what it was about her in those early days that put me in such an irritable mood. Well, I take that back. I do know. I was protecting myself. When that little slip of a woman walked in, all blue eyes and curves, and shut Bill down in a way that I didn't even think was possible, well... there were parts of me that were anything but irritated. That was irritating. When I saw Lieutenant Nixon flirting with her, and heard that they had some kind of history at Yale, an unfamiliar feeling swept over me. She was supposed to be enlisted, so she didn't need to be all friendly with the officers like that. Jealousy. Possessiveness. That was beyond irritating. I was getting ready to fight a war, for chris'sakes! No time to be getting fuzzy-headed over some damned princess.

Hmm. Princess. I'd have to keep using that. It seemed to drive her right up the wall.

Anyway, convincing myself that something had to be wrong with her was surprisingly easy. It was hard to believe that a woman would want to go through the kind of training that we would be going through, or to parachute behind enemy lines into a bloody war, unless there was a story to go along with it. When Cobb pulled back the cover on her history for the rest of us to get a peek, my heart and my stomach traded places. I did not need some broad with a backstory challenging my carefully constructed façade of stoic skepticism and untested assumptions. Fine. She wasn't a brass polisher. That didn't mean I had to like her.

"What do you think she meant about the hospital," Talbert had whispered to Perconte.

"I dunno, but if she was at Pearl Harbor, she really must have seen some awful stuff," came Perc's reply, and I could feel my impatience welling up inside me. "And what happened with the fiancé?"

She'd cut the conversation short after she let it slip about the Bronze Star being hers. Bill started to press, but thought the better of it, allowing her to walk out and head in the direction of the showers. For a moment, I wondered what had happened to her over there. Then I swallowed my question and climbed back into my bunk. The less I knew about Ava Taylor, the better off I'd be.

Of course, I didn't get the opportunity to remain cocooned in my bitter, willful ignorance long because we were soon in Fort Benning, standing before a C-47 and listening to one of her old buddies recount the story of her survival, solving the mystery of what she'd meant about the hospital, the fiancé, and the Bronze Star.

Damned if I hadn't known she was going to be trouble the moment I laid eyes on her. She was beautiful. She was intelligent. She was strong. She was a hero who'd rescued her crew and watched her fiancé die in her arms. Oh, and she wasn't some flighty, over-romanced, fairytale-clinging dame, as evidenced by her straightforward conversation with Talbert. What wasn't to hate?

"You know, for as much as you claim not to be able to stand her, you sure do a lot of staring in her direction."

Bill's voice broke into my thoughts, and I scowled at him. We were trekking through the North Carolina woods on maneuvers with Captain Confused. I hadn't realized that I'd been watching her as she walked in front of me, sure-footed and steady, her uniform just barely hugging the curve at her hips, her blue eyes flashing as she whispered to Cobb that our illustrious CO was "leading us to our proverbial deaths," pulling her full lower lip between her teeth in concern. Not that I was really paying that much attention.

The "enemy" company rose out of the underbrush, weapons drawn, and we all came to a stop behind our foolhardy leader. We had all been a little confused when he ordered us out of a position that would have been perfect for ambush. Many of us had heard Winters trying to reason with him, and watched as his ego led us right into this trap. Prior to that moment, we'd been certain that he was a jackass, and we'd been fairly certain that his leadership skills left a lot to be desired, but as we glanced at each other in that moment, one thing became crystal clear. If Captain Herbert Sobel led Easy Company into combat, many of us would not be returning home alive.

"You, you, you," he ordered, stabbing at the air in embarrassed frustration after being ordered to leave three pseudo-injured in the woods and return to base. And so, it was that Easy Company trudged back in without Ava Taylor, Floyd Talbert, and me.

"You sure you wanna stay here with these two? Tab's bouncing like a puppy with a new ball," he needled. Then, noticing my glare in that direction, he grinned and added, "Or... maybe you need to stay out here to protect your girl's honor."

"Bill, I don't care. Let them go play in the woods."

"Joe, everyone already knows you're not as immune to her as you pretend to be. Would it kill you to admit it? At least to me?"

"Yes. Yes, Bill, it would."

* * *

 **COBB POV**

"No pawing at her, Floyd."

"Yes, father."

"I mean it, Tab. She's not one of your little pub dames. She's a lady, and I don't want..."

"Yeah, Cobb. I got it, and I'm pretty sure that she can take care of herself. Besides, I'm not even the one you should be worrying about. Tall, dark, and brooding over there is the one who is building all the sexual tension with her."

"What? I mean...," I followed his eyes toward Ava. She dropped her gear and her gun against a tree and stretched. Behind her, the sun peeking through the trees caused the shadows to drift over her curves. It was then that I noticed Joe Toye, parked unhappily on a fallen log to wait for rescue. He was watching her, and the shadows. "What the hell is he staring at? He doesn't even like her!"

She straightened and noticed that I was still standing there with Tab instead of walking away with the others, and she shot me a look. Toye's eyes followed her as she moved toward me, and I was so busy watching him watch her that I almost didn't notice her stop in front of me. She smacked me on the arm to get my attention.

"Roy, I'm fine. Go back and shower up. I'll see you at chow. I can handle Tab."

"It's not Tab I'm worried about," I mumbled, and she gave me a puzzled look. "Never mind. I'm going."

I sent Tab one last stern look before turning back toward the camp. Of course, I knew that Ava could take care of herself, but she was still just 21. Not that Tab, or even Toye, would do anything to purposely hurt her, but she'd already been through so much. Talbert had a penchant for loving and leaving, and he was fairly oblivious to the effects. She seemed aware of this, if their conversation at the bar had been any indication, but that didn't stop the surge of protectiveness from rushing to the surface. Especially now that he'd called my attention to this thing with Joe. Based on the conversation around me, I'd been the last to notice.

Beside me, I could hear Bull and Guarnere discussing them as though they were going to sneak away into the forest and tear each other's clothes off. A prime example of my reason for concern. These were all good men, but they were still men, and she was a beautiful, young woman with the heart of a warrior and the eyes of an angel. Toye had been, without question, her biggest dissenter. If she'd even managed to catch his eye, I had little hope of getting her through the war without someone trying something. I had to admit, had I been a much younger man who'd seen much less of war, I might have been as eager to get a taste as some of the boys seemed to be. As it was, I felt affectionately responsible for the wellbeing of Staff Sergeant Ava Taylor, even if she did outrank me. If, in the course of my protecting her, our friendship grew into something else, well...

"So, what's the story with you and Taylor?"

Frank Perconte, ever the nosy one, was grinning and chomping on a piece of Wrigley's as he questioned me about my relationship with Ava.

"There is no story, Frank. We just understand each other."

"Understand each other. Hmm. Does that mean you're not interested? Because you're certainly protective of her virtue for a man who's not interested."

"Frank, get serious. We're training to go to war."

"So, what? We aren't dead. Don't tell me you haven't noticed how that girl looks in a pair of PT shorts. You're not that much of a gentleman."

"Yeah. I've noticed," I admitted, keeping my eyes in front of me to avoid his smile.

"Uh huh."

"And I've also noticed that she's much younger than I am, and there are a dozen guys better looking and closer to her age. She's had a rough time. If she's looking for anything, it's pretty clear that it'd be casual at this point. She already told Tab that she'd never risk that type of relationship with a friend."

"So, you have thought about it."

His eyes were glittering at the prospect of this new piece of information, and I glanced over to see him watching my face expectantly. Finally, I rolled my eyes and shrugged.

"Yeah, Frank. I've thought about it. You said yourself. I'm not dead."

* * *

 **AVA POV**

"Alright, spill it," Tab demanded as soon as the rest of the company was out of site. "You have to have something going on with him by now."

"What? Who?"

"Cobb. Or maybe you've rekindled something with Nixon?"

"Tab..."

Before I could protest, Joe brushed past me, bumping my shoulder as he moved farther away from us and grumbling, "Gossiping like a couple of women. What are we? In the damned beauty parlor now?"

I watched him pass and Tab leaned in to whisper conspiratorially into my ear, "Look. You and Roy have a connection, and that's obvious. Maybe it could become something someday, when you're ready. Still, for right now, you are friends and I know how you feel about risking friendships for sex. You and Joe, however, are not friends, and everyone in this company is waiting for this thing with you two to explode."

"What thing? There is no thing," I denied, hoping that the heat creeping up my cheeks was not visible.

"Please," he interrupted my sputtering. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much. You might not like each other, but you're definitely attracted to each other. I don't know. Maybe it's the way you challenge each other, but the two of you are one good fight away from naked. It's only a matter of time. You know that steam we talked about blowing off at the bar that night? Well, the two of you are whistling louder than a couple of tea kettles."

"Are not."

"Okay. Have it your way. So, if nothing is going on with Joe, and we are out here alone in the woods, do you wanna...?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Can you two save it? I don't want to watch you two play kissy-face," Joe snapped.

Tab's grin held more than a hint of "I told you so" as I settled back against a log with nothing to do but wait and think.


	4. Chapter 4

**COBB POV**

They got back just in time for chow, finally relieved after being "wounded" in the woods hours earlier. There was a rumor going around that we would be moving out again soon, headed for that final stretch of training before we headed overseas, and the war seemed to loom larger than ever. The idea of her wounded out in the woods, and of coming back without her, weighed on my mind all afternoon. Training exercise or not, it was an uncomfortable feeling. I was fighting the urge to reach for the flask I had tucked into my pocket when she came back in, still in one piece and, apparently, unmolested by the hormonal young men who accompanied her. For the moment, my craving subsided.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, darlin'," I greeted, smiling as she approached me, brushing the leaves and twigs from her uniform. "Saved you a seat."

"Roy, you're such a gentleman. You ought to give classes to some of these guys."

The light peck of appreciation that I received felt like it was burned into my cheek, and I ducked my head to hide my blush as she settled down at the table next to me with her plate. From a table away, I could see Joe Toye sneaking glances at her. Tab, who had taken a seat across the table from us, nodded in that direction and whispered to her in an apparent continuation of a conversation that I had not been privy to, although it was not hard to figure out what the subject matter had been.

"Told ya, Taylor. Tea kettles. That's a man ready to blow off steam."

The cool metal of the flask and the heat of the alcohol met my lips before I even thought about it, although I was careful to be somewhat discreet. I didn't want to think about steam. Or Joe. Or anything relating those two things to Ava. Still, she saw. She'd known about the flask. We'd argued about it before, and I knew that she had a family history with the stuff, not to mention her confusing relationship with Nixon. She started to scold me.

"Roy..."

"Just a sip, Ava. I was worried about you and I have a headache. It's fine. I promise."

"Yeah. Fine," she responded quietly. "I'm gonna see if the showers are empty. I'm filthy."

As she stood and walked away, I didn't miss Joe's eyes following her across the room, and I was just close enough to hear when George leaned over to call him on it.

"See somethin' you like?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact. She's leaving."

The response was less than convincing, and George didn't seem to buy it either. Instead, he laughed and shook his head knowingly.

"Yeah, okay Joe. One of these days, you two are gonna wind up doing a lot more than arguing."

Joe spoke the thought as it entered my head.

"Shut up, George."

I took another sip.

* * *

 **JOE POV**

When Smokey threatened to recite a poem about my inner longings, I decided that I'd had enough and walked out of the mess hall. I figured I'd head for the barracks and get a few minutes of peace and quiet, and was on my way there when I noticed movement at the door of the showers. Taking a closer look, I could see that it was a young private from D Company, and that he was peeking through the doorway at whoever was in the shower. I had a pretty good idea of who that might be, so I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"In a minute, man! Jeez, you oughta see this dame! What a body! Here, have a loo..."

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Shit, I'm sorry. I just... I mean, she... I didn't mean to..."

I kept my voice low, pulling him by the collar so that I could look into his eyes.

"Yeah, you did. Hope you got a good look, because the next time I see you looking at my... Easy's girl... like that, I'll personally take your eyes out of your skull."

I gave him a shove in the direction of the D Company barracks and watched as he scrambled away before glancing back toward the door of the shower to make sure she hadn't seen the exchange. It wasn't even really a door. More of an opening. Not to make excuses or anything, but standing that close, I really couldn't help but see inside. I wasn't trying to notice how the shadows from between the wooden slats followed along the curves of her hips in the same way that they had in the forest... only now she was naked..., or to think about how the water trickled from her hair into the valley between her breasts and ran down her stomach. I tried to pretend that it was Joe Dominguez' cooking that was causing the heat to pool in my belly, but that didn't explain why it was rising toward my cheeks.

I meant to walk away. I meant to suppress every male instinct I had, resist the urge to look, and head straight back for the barracks. I just couldn't. Someone had put lead in my boots. I could not take my eyes off her. In that moment, everything that annoyed me about her was forgotten and I was left with the reality that she was a woman. A strong, intelligent, beautiful woman. The ache I felt reminded me just how long it had been since I'd been this close to a woman like Ava... a naked, wet...

"Really, Toye? You hate my guts but now you're peeping on me in the shower?"

She'd managed to catch me in the middle of my haze, and now she stood before me in the doorway of the showers, buttoning her trousers and looking more than a little pissed.

"What? No! Of course not!" I sputtered as she stood, arms crossed, glaring at me. "I saw..."

"You saw some sleazy little D Company pervert watching me and decided to defend my honor?"

My words caught in my throat and I stared at her, unsure of what to say until she finally broke into a smile and stepped down beside me.

"I heard you confront him. Thanks."

She was a few yards ahead of me before I recovered from the shock of being busted, so I jogged to catch up with her.

"Why didn't you say something?"

"Eh," she shrugged and laughed. "It sounded like you had it handled, what with the removing the eyes out of his skull and all. Besides, I figured if you went to all that trouble, it wouldn't hurt to give you a little peek."

"Ava!"

"What?"

"You do not need to be giving..."

"Joe. I was joking. Honestly, I knew you'd rather die than let me know that you'd done something nice for me, so I was trying to spare you the agony. Besides, I happen to know that you can't really see all that much from where you were standing."

"No, I guess you can't see much from... wait, how do you know that?"

She stopped in front of the barracks door long enough to throw me a wink and a coy smile over her shoulder, then she walked inside and left me staring after her in shocked curiosity. The laughter spilling out of the open doorway startled me back into awareness, and I walked back into the doorway to find a boisterous poker game underway.

"Joe! You left the mess hall forever ago! Where the hell have you been?" Bill demanded.

"Yeah, we got a poker game going, if you want in," George added, nudging Ava who was curled up beside him, watching him deal. "We were trying to talk A.T. here into a game of strip poker, but she said she'd rather have the money than our clothes. Guess none of us will ever get to see her naked, huh?"

She glanced up at me over her cards, an unmistakably mischievous sparkle in her eye, and teased, "Oh, George. Never say never. One of you might get lucky someday."

Damned Mata Hari.

* * *

 **NIXON POV**

Those next few months were too long and not long enough. I'd been promoted to battalion staff, but I knew that dealing with Sobel could make the hot summer days feel like years. Training sometimes dragged on and on, but then we'd realize that, with every passing day, the war was getting closer and it would suddenly seem like there wasn't enough time.

Ava had ingratiated herself with Easy, and while I was happy to see that the men had adopted her, I sometimes worried that some of them might be taking a little too keen of an interest. Obviously, Tab was a concern, but I'd felt okay at first because Roy Cobb seemed to have appointed himself as her protector. They were very close. Lately, though, I couldn't help but notice that he'd been hitting the bottle every chance he got. I was certain that it was related to whatever this thing was that was going on between Ava and Joe Toye. I'd heard the conversations amongst the guys. I'd seen the two of them sniping at each other. Truth be told, the whole thing had me pretty attached to the Vat 69 these days too, but it worried me to see Roy's growing relationship with his flask.

Ava had issues with the drinking; both Roy Cobb's and mine. We'd had our share of arguments, so I knew that she'd probably given him an earful too. Her history with alcohol was a complicated one. It wasn't so much the social drinking that caused her concern, but she eyed every boot or pocket-tucked flask as though they were live grenades. Her alcoholic father had caused the accident that took her mother's life just ten years earlier. He'd always been volatile, and he'd been raging at the two of them when the wreck took place. Upon their deaths, she'd immediately changed her name back to her mother's maiden name, Taylor, and went to live with her Uncle Max. All things considered, she'd handled things well, but trusting men had never really been her strong suit. It had taken me a while to prove that not every man who drank would become the angry, belligerent drunk that her father was. Eventually, she went so far as to indulge in the occasional beer or two, though it was never more than that. She drew a line in the sand at getting drunk, and I respected that. She trusted me, even if she didn't especially approve of my level of consumption, because I had everything under control. I just hoped that Roy did too. Their shared history had developed into a close friendship, and while I wasn't particularly happy about seeing her share with him the same kind of closeness we had, or used to have, I really didn't want him to do something stupid and shatter her all over again. Not that I wouldn't be right there to pick up the pieces, but…

As I stood there in the dust of the train depot, watching the boys loading bags around her and thinking about the could-have-beens in my life, she turned to thank Bull for his help and I caught a glimpse of her face. Her smile was a sure-fire fake, and her eyes held nothing but worry. I knew how to help. I wanted to help. I knew that, as the Intelligence Officer, I shouldn't. I just couldn't stop myself. I shouldered my duffel and walked toward them.

"I'm fine, Bull," she was lying. "Promise. Remember, I've already been through the blood and guts. It's just different when you have time to think about it."

"You sure, darlin?" 'Cause if you change your mind when we get going, you just let me know and I'll hop out and turn this train around."

She laughed and kissed his cheek fondly as he pulled her into a hug, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"I know you will. Thank you, Bull."

When I reached them, they both saluted and Bull started to excuse himself.

"No, it's fine, Randleman. I just noticed Ava lying to you about being worried, and wanted to ease her concern," I assured, sending a pointed grin at her as Randleman elbowed her as if to say he'd known she was lying as well. "You two must keep this quiet, because I'm certainly not supposed to be telling you, but this train is taking us to New York. I won't tell you any more than that, but Ava, you're not going back to the Pacific."

Her whole body relaxed, her eyes regarding me with genuine gratitude, and Bull hugged her tightly again, whispering reassurances in her ear. Even if it'd been wrong in the technical sense, I'd done the right thing. I turned to head back to the other officers when she came up behind me, addressing me quietly.

"Lieutenant Nixon?"

"Yeah, Av?"

She looked around a moment to make sure no one was watching, then wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed a kiss against my jawline.

Into my ear, she whispered, "Thank you, Lewis. I'm really glad you're here with me."

Then she was gone, back with Bull and the others, before I could even wrap my arms around her the way I'd wanted to since I let her go two years ago.


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **DEAR READERS, BOTH LOYAL AND NEW (AND ALL AMAZING),**

 **THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE IS TO ALERT YOU TO THE FACT THAT TAYLOR MADE HAS BEEN REVAMPED FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE. AS I WAS RE-READING THE STORY, PREPARING TO MOVE FORWARD, I REALIZED THAT I WASN'T PARTICULARLY HAPPY WITH EVERYTHING I'D WRITTEN SO FAR, OR THE DIRECTION IT WAS LEADING. I'VE GONE THROUGH AND DONE SOME REMODELING, AND REPOSTED THE NEW CHAPTERS (1-4), WHICH WILL LAND YOU AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME AS THE PREVIOUS VERSION LEFT OFF.**

 **SOME OF THE CHANGES WERE MERELY COSMETIC, POLISHING WORDS AND PLUGGING IN SOME THINGS, WHILE OTHERS ARE MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIAL. WHILE YOU MAY FIND THAT THE WORDING IS, IN MANY PLACES, VERY FAMILIAR, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO RE-READ ALL FOUR OF THE CHAPTERS SO THAT YOU DON'T MISS ANYTHING.**

 **I'M FEELING MUCH MORE CONFIDENT ABOUT THIS RE-WRITE BUT, AS ALWAYS, I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK AND REVIEWS SO THAT I KNOW I'M HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.**

 **THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, AND I TRULY HOPE THAT YOU WILL ENJOY THIS REVAMP OF TAYLOR MADE.**

 **~KASIA**


End file.
